RAIL: Go figure: A numerical look at Tuesday's election

Mar. 29—3,088 1/2

Deb Feinen's average margin of victory in two mayoral runs so far — she won by 5,003 over Azark Cobbs in 2019 and by 1,174 over runner-up Don Gerard, part of a a four-candidate race in 2015. A win Tuesday over Cobbs and Gerard would make Feinen the city's first three-term mayor since Jerry Schweighart (1999-2011).

5 for 6

Candidates and openings on Urbana's school board this cycle, assuring wins for incumbents Ravi Hasanadka (Sub-District 2), Paul Poulosky (5) and Tori Exum (6), as well as newcomers Sheri Langendorf (3) and Ben Baxley (7). Unlike in Champaign, where seven candidates are vying for four seats, all are unopposed, with no one on the ballot for a sixth seat, representing Sub-District 4.

1989

Around here, Lou Henson's Flyin' Illini were the kings of campus, Champaign had 24,800 fewer residents and voters elected James Ayers to Parkland College's board of trustees. Thirty-four years later, the former Monticello mayor is back on the ballot, vying for a sixth Election Day victory. Ayers and fellow board veteran Dana Trimble (elected in 1999) are among four candidates for three openings, joining newcomers Carolyn Ragsdale and Rhonda Littlefield on the ballot.

10

School board options for voters in the Georgetown-Ridge Farm district — the most of any area race. Competing for four seats: current President Jeromy Spesard and fellow incumbents Connie Cannon and Nancy Heiser Dalenberg, along with ballot newcomers Joe Buyno, Larry Daily, Sam Fourez, Susie Gardner, Cathy Jenkins, Mark Learnard and Lori Starwalt.

540

Election judges set to report for duty Tuesday in Sangamon County — with another 60 backups ready to cover 11th-hour cancellations, according to County Clerk Don Gray.

In the wake of this week's "emergency advisory" — that Champaign County was closing 20 of its 69 polling places due to falling considerably short of the 210 trained election judges needed to staff them — we checked in with similar-sized counties to gauge whether it was a statewide struggle.

The answer appears to be "no."

— Sangamon — home county to Springfield, with a population of 196,759 to Champaign County's 206,583 — will have 81 polling places open Tuesday.

— Tazewell (pop. 131,977), in the Peoria area, is estimating 328 judges working 50 polling locations, said County Clerk John Ackerman, who added: "We have never, including throughout COVID, had to close a polling location because of lack of election judges."

— Bloomington-Normal's home county of McLean (pop. 171,455) will have about 280 judges working for the standard statewide daily rate of $200. "We always have more than we need; this was not the case this time," County Clerk Kathy Michael said. But last-minute no-shows could mean longer lines at a few locations, not closures, she said.